🍂 Fall Equinox, Solar Eclipse and Mabon: At the Threshold Where Light Meets Dark
Mabon Arrives
The wheel of the year turns again. It is officially Mabon and fall equinox, the threshold between light and dark. The past few winters have been difficult for me, and I’ve had to reshape my relationship with winter so the end of summer does not feel like a prison sentence. Seasonal depression is real, and this year I am committing to three simple practices. More morning light no matter the cold. More walking outside. Creative projects close at hand.
I did not plant as much as I hoped this season, and I have already grieved that. My dahlias still have not bloomed because I planted them too late, and yet this week I spotted the first buds. I noticed guilt rising that I had not gotten them in earlier to feed the pollinators. But the truth is the pollinators were not waiting on me like an uptight boss. Nature does not move with expectations. So I will continue to remind myself to adopt that too.
Here in western North Carolina the yellow blooms of wingstem are rising tall. My strawberries have begun to fruit again after their stressful transplant this spring. These small signs remind me that timing is never perfect, and yet things still grow.
I am leaning into what is here. Looking forward to coziness. Catching up on my spring cleaning as if I am a bear with ADHD preparing for winter a little late but still somehow right on time.
First dahlia bud of the season. A reminder that nature does not run on our timelines. The pollinators weren’t waiting on me. Nature unfolds on her own terms.
Eclipse and Equinox Eve
In the Northern Hemisphere today brings a solar eclipse that coincides with Mabon, on the eve of the fall equinox. Our friends in the Southern Hemisphere are preparing for spring, a season of opening and expansion, while here we turn toward gathering and rest.
The solstices mark the edges of the year, the longest day and the longest night. The equinox is the threshold between them, a rare balance of light and dark. From here the days grow shorter as we step into fall.
The animals are already storing food for the months ahead. We too can begin gathering what we need. Not only supplies, but courage for rest, space for reflection, and trust that this quieter season carries its own gifts.
This solar eclipse reminds us that beginnings often arrive through shadow. What feels hidden now may be the seed of something new.
I know many of us dread winter, yet it offers opportunities that summer cannot.
What Fall Equinox Is and Where It Shows Up
The fall equinox is the moment when the sun sits directly above the equator and day and night are of equal length. It is a celestial balance point, a yin and yang moment in the sky. In the Northern Hemisphere it happens around September 22 or 23, as the sun crosses the celestial equator moving south. In the Southern Hemisphere it arrives in March, when spring is beginning.
Mabon is the name given to this turning by Wiccan and modern Pagan traditions. It is part of the wheel of the year, which honors eight seasonal thresholds. Mabon is a celebration of balance, of harvest, and of the wisdom that comes when light and dark meet as equals.
This time of year is an invitation to reset and reconnect with the rhythms of nature. In our modern world it is easy to forget that the soil is cooling, the leaves are preparing to fall, and the animals are storing food. Equinox is a chance to resync with these ancient signals.
Mabon and the Wheel of the Year
Mabon is the name given to the autumn equinox in Wiccan and modern Pagan traditions. It is one of eight festivals on the wheel of the year, each marking a turning of the seasons. At Mabon we honor the balance of light and dark, and we give thanks for the harvest that has come.
Traditionally it is a time of feasting, gratitude, and preparing for the inward months ahead. Some see it as the pagan Thanksgiving, a chance to gather, to share abundance, and to honor both the seen and unseen cycles of life.
In our fast and fragmented world, Mabon can be an anchor. It offers us a chance to reset, to redirect our attention, and to reconnect with the ancient rhythm of the earth.
Inner Harvest: What to Gather
Just as the animals sense the shift in season and begin gathering their stores for the long rest ahead, we too can notice what we have grown and what we want to carry forward. For many in our world, survival still means gathering food, firewood, and shelter. For those of us with different kinds of privilege, survival can also mean tending to our vitality, our mental health, and our spirit.
This is a good season for gratitude. We can acknowledge the grief, the disappointments, the things that did not bloom as we hoped. At the same time we can pause to notice the simple blessings that support us. Food. Shelter. Water. Warmth. Connection.
As the darker months approach, our inner landscape will be tested. Which practices, memories, and small joys do you want to store away like seeds in your pocket?
Journaling prompts for inner harvest:
What has grown in me this year that I want to honor?
Where have I surprised myself with resilience or creativity?
What am I grateful for that I might otherwise overlook?
What do I want to carry forward to sustain me through the winter?
What to Let Go
The fall equinox invites us to reflect on what has run its course. The harvest is gathered, and not everything makes it into storage. Some things are meant to return to the soil.
Letting go does not mean everything must be judged by usefulness. It is more about asking whether something serves our highest good. In our culture boundaries are sometimes used as an excuse for avoidance, as if people and relationships are disposable. This season calls for a gentler approach.
Maybe there is a habit you want to shift. Maybe there is a person who leaves you feeling confused, and this is the time to practice new boundaries. Maybe there has been pressure on yourself or your garden to produce, and you are ready to release that weight.
The land itself shows us how. Trees drop their leaves, plants draw inward, the soil rests.
If you wish, you can honor this turning point with a small ritual. Write down what you are ready to release and place it in the compost. Bury a stone in the soil as a marker of what you no longer need. Light a candle and let the flame carry your intention. None of this must be done on a single day. The whole season is an opening. Choose what feels easeful.
Planting Seeds in Darkness
The new moon and solar eclipse remind us that seeds begin in the dark. What will you tend quietly in the months ahead?
Seeds can be inner soul work, or playful exploration with your inner child. They can be creative projects like basket weaving, painting, or even making pottery out of gourds, a tradition practiced in many places. They can be as simple as lighting candles on long nights or gathering friends and familiars around a board game.
Boundary setting and slowing down are also seeds worth planting. These practices help carry the balance of the equinox into the darker half of the year. And then there is self care, which does not need to be extravagant or expensive. It might look like writing a morning affirmation, admiring one thing about yourself in the mirror, or brewing a warm cup of tulsi rose tea from the abundance of summer’s garden.
One ritual you might try is pressing flowers from your summer harvest, preserving color and memory to carry into the winter months.
An Invitation
May this turning of equinox and Mabon help us find balance within ourselves and in the world around us. When you feel lost, rushed, scared, or lonely, consider stepping outside or listen to nature sounds. The land is always whispering reminders that things will be okay.
We can honor struggle and injustice without turning away. We can also pause to notice beauty without bypassing reality. Both belong. Yet we cannot resist or rebuild if we are not also nourished and paced.
So I ask you: what will you harvest in this season? What are you ready to release?
A bumble bee doing its thing in a tall thistle flower (Cirsium altissimum)
